AFL Barwon are pleased to announce that the 17th-19th February 2025, will represent a revamped pre-season “GamePlan” engagement, now the “Club Education Week”. 

The evenings of February 17-19 will include webinars hosted by AFL Barwon on the following topics:

• Junior Football Coordinator Webinar
• Club Development Webinar
• Football Umpiring Info Webinar
• Football Player Payments & Salary Cap Webinar
• Netball Player Points & Salary Cap Webinar
• Football Match Day Operations & Rules/By-Laws Webinar
• Netball Panel Umpire & Development Mentor Webinar
• Play HQ Information Webinar (Football & Netball)

Please visit the Club Education Hub for more information on the Webinars, noting registration for each webinar is important. 

A reminder to please complete your Club Contacts for the upcoming season. 

Competitive Option:

Event Information:

• Day: Monday
• Start Date: 17^th February
• Time: Games starting at 6pm
• Venue: Belmont Common, Geelong
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Entry Fee: $350 per team (upfront cost; no participant or weekly fees)
• Divisions Available: Men’s and Women’s

Social Option:

This competition style is more social and targeted towards players who aren’t currently playing community footy but would love to have the opportunity to play footy with their friends in a more social environment.

A great opportunity to utilise AFL Nines as an opportunity for physical activity and catching up with friends and family. Details for this competition are below

Event Information:

• Day: Monday
• Start Date: 17^th February
• Time: Games starting at 6pm
• Venue: Belmont Common, Geelong
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Entry Fee: $350 per team (upfront cost; no participant or weekly fees)
• Divisions Available: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed

To register your team for the competition, please complete the registration form here - Register | PlayHQ

More information about AFL Nines:

Age Requirement: This event is for participants aged 18 and over.

Rules & AFL Nines Game Play Information: AFL Nines - Play AFL

Exciting Extras: DJ, Food Trucks and lots of entertainment so there’s plenty of motivation to compete and have fun!

Clubs are asked to remind all players to complete their Play HQ registrations as a priority. 

In particular, senior players need to be registered for the current season for AFLB to update or enter their PPVs (Player Points Values) 

Standard Player Declarations need to be completed and signed by both parties (player and club official) and uploaded to the Club’s Player Payment Portal by the designated club representative.

19&U Division 2 Team Entries OPEN 

Team entries for the NEW 19&U Division 2 winter competition is NOW OPEN. 

Confirm your Team Entries HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/GqdRwQL21q  

Please confirm these team entries as SOON AS POSSIBLE so that we can gauge team numbers. 

AFL Barwon Team Entries 

Team entries for AFL Barwon Saturday and Midweek winter competitions are NOW OPEN. 

Saturday Team Entries: https://forms.office.com/r/88u31qVDss  

Midweek Team Entries: https://forms.office.com/r/1rugikN02y  

Please note the due dates for Submission 

• Saturday Teams: DUE FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2025 
• Midweek Teams: DUE MONDAY 24TH MARCH 2025 

Please also do not create your teams on PlayHQ directly; we will do this to ensure the naming conventions are correct. 

Clearances 

Clearances are required for any player moving within AFL Barwon teams (i.e. GFNL, BFNL and AFL Barwon clubs) - All clearances will be managed via PlayHQ.  

It’s the player’s responsibility to initiate their clearance. 

To initiate a clearance: 

•              The Player registers to the club they intend to play for in 2025. This begins the transfer process.
•              The 2024 club will then need to approve/deny the clearance through the ‘Transfers’ tab on the left side of the administration page within 7 days. Auto-approval occurs after 7 days.
•              Once approved, this will be approved at a league level within seven days.
•              Finally, the destination club is able to approve the transfer within seven days.
•              The participant then needs to complete the required registration steps. Participants will be sent an email to complete their registration.

Only one clearance per season is permitted (Exception to this is a junior playing for a different club over Summer and returning to their original club for winter, however this is monitored by league officials). 

Netball Practice Match - Umpire Requests 

As practice matches are approaching hard and fast, we have created a form to support in engaging umpires to support these matches. 

Please complete the below form should you be seeking umpires for any upcoming practice matches.  

Umpire Jackets

The jackets will be available every order window 1-7th of each month from October – June of each year. 

Next order window is February 1st – 7th 

11&U Certificates 

All 11&U participants will receive a participation certificate for the completion of the summer season. To save on paper and printing certificates of uncollected certificates, please let me know via email by Friday 7th  February if your team would like certificates so I can order these in time for the end of the season. 

Finals Qualifications 

See below a reminder of the final’s qualification rules for the summer season. 

1. Players must take the court in at least 4 games throughout the home and away season to be eligible to participate in that division’s finals series. If the minimum of 4 games is not played the player is ineligible to play finals. NOTE – to be eligible under this rule – a player MUST have PLAYED ON COURT during the games that player team sheets have been submitted throughout the home and away game series. Where teams play less than 80% of the maximum number of scheduled games, a pro rata system will apply. 
2. Once a player takes the court in the 5th game, they are ineligible to play in a lower division in the same age group. 
3. Teams found playing an ineligible player during finals will be considered to have lost that match and be subject to a fine set by AFL Barwon. 
4. Final matches are to be played irrespective of weather conditions. However, if the conditions are considered by either or both officiating umpires, or AFL Barwon representative, to present a physical risk to either players or umpires, then the umpires shall call a ten (10) minute break. Then after the break, the officiating umpires, in consultation with AFL Barwon netball manager, will decide as to the future of the match. 

AFL Barwon – Geelong, Umpire training starts Monday 3rd Feb. at Geelong Cricket Ground. And each Monday and Wednesday throughout the season. 

• Development Field – 4.30pm 

• Senior Field – 5.45pm 

• Boundary – 5.00pm 

• Goal – 5.30pm 

All welcome, free sausage sizzle! 

AFL Barwon - Colac, Umpire training starts Wednesday 5th Feb. at Lake Oval and then each Wednesday throughout the season. 

• All Umpires – 5.30pm 

All Welcome, free sausage sizzle! 

*AFL Barwon Umpires do not train on any Public Holiday!  

Please send all Umpire Practice Match Bookings to jock@aflbarwon.com.au asap 

The form can be found on the AFL Barwon Website using this link. 

You can select – Under Umpire Forms section.  

• Senior, Reserve, U18 Boys request form 

• Female Football request Form 

• Junior Football request form 

We will do our best to appoint requested umpires to all practice matches, however this is subject to availability umpire numbers through this period. Any 6 period Practice Match must request the full contingent of umpire’s discipline selected. 

Host Club will be responsible for umpire fees invoice and any shared arrangement in cost is up to that host club to follow up. No quarter or period is to exceed 25min’s.

All regular Club Aligned Umpires in AFL Barwon, will need to register and complete the AFL 2025 Umpire Education Module.  

Use this link to sign up as “new” or returning umpire on the Play.afl/umpire web page. 

ALL 2024 registered umpires have been receiving emails about re-registration and module completion process since November 2024! 

Please also inform jock@aflbarwon.com.au of your club umpire list for 2025 when known with permitted contact details, level of grade and division they intend to be officiating, to assist you with follow up and support assistance to these umpires. 

You can use the same link to send to anyone wanting to be a League Umpire in your networks as a general recruiting tool. 

All Umpires aged 18 or over MUST have a current and valid Victorian WWC (volunteer) and list AFL Barwon as an organization when applying or updating their details. 

The web page provides a lot of general information about umpiring and how to get started. 

Once registered in OHQ they will receive further “how to” information as we move forward in the pre-season. 

All Club aligned umpires are welcome to attend any AFL Barwon Umpire training venue at any time. 

These can be purchased from Project Clothig 

Geelong – purchase here 

Colac – purchase here 

Reserve Grade field umpires – shirt, shorts and socks, red/yellow/white cards 

All other grades – shirt, other shorts and socks are optional, but if used presents a more professional look to the individual. 

Applications for Lead Your Way 2025 are now open!

Lead Your Way – presented by AFL Victoria – is calling on women and gender-diverse leaders from community football clubs in (league or region) to level up your skills and network in 2025!

If you are a current committee member at your club, apply before January 27 2025 to Lead Your Way next year!

Come and learn how to use Prep-to-Play and prevent injuries this season.  

A practical workshop to give you the confidence and skills to use new warm-up, tackling and ground ball drills at your next training. This will include a structured, evidence-based football specific warm-up and cool down, as well as how to teach and introduce contact skills (tackling/being tackled/ground ball focus) safely and effectively. 

When and where: 6.00pm -7.30pm Tuesday March 25th, 2025, Location in Geelong TBA. 

Who can attend: Coaches, players, parents, trainers, health/exercise professionals. Prep-to-Play can be used in female and male teams, and all age groups.  

Coaches will earn 50 CPD points via AFL Learn. 

Please contact Tim Secombe (tim@aflbarwon.com.au) and/or the Prep-to-Play team (prep2play@latrobe.edu.au) with any questions regarding the above information. 

AFL Victoria are leading the annual Regional Satisfaction Survey and we invite all Clubs to submit a response of feedback to enable AFL Barwon & AFL Victoria to adequately prepare for 2025. 

Your time and comments are greatly appreciated, and you can complete the Survey via the link below

On the 06/12/2024 a AFL Barwon child Safeguarding email update which included a survey was sent to Presidents & Secretaries of all Clubs asking where you see your club at in relation to Child Safeguarding obligations & compliance.

Just a gentle reminder that we require a response by the 31/01/2025. Thank you.

AFL Victoria is proud to announce an unmissable Coaching Forum this March 2025, designed to elevate your coaching skills and knowledge. Whether you're an experienced coach or just starting out, this forum is the perfect chance to hear from some of the best in the industry, including keynote speakers, top coaches, educators, and mentors. As well as build your coaching community by connecting and sharing insights with other coaches.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Informative sessions & professional development
• Gain firsthand knowledge from AFL experts and coaches (Nathan Buckley, Sam Mitchell + more to come)
• Interactive workshops
• Earn valuable points towards your coaching progression
• Connect with other coaches, share insights, and build your coaching community.

A warm welcome to our recently appointed new football coaches, please don't forget to register by following the below link.

More to come on 2025 coaching workshops, including the coach induction workshop coming soon

Telstra Footy Country Grants

Local footy clubs across the country can apply for Telstra Footy Country Grants, a partnership between the AFL and Telstra that will deliver $2m per year for a four-year period to community football.

More information HERE.

Ahead of the Game is a free program for players (12 years-18 years), their parents and coaches. Funded by Movember and partnering with the AFL, Ahead of the Game has delivered 1000+ sessions and reached 18,000+ young players nationally in 2024.

Ahead of the Game provides young players with the tools to deal with life’s challenges, and the confidence to support their mates through tough times, whilst also empowering them to look after their own mental wellbeing. The program has been designed to have localised Delivery Partners come to community clubs to deliver at a time that suits during the season.

In 2025 Ahead of the game will have capacity to deliver up to 40 workshops in the Geelong & Colac regions.

Further information and to register your interest can be found here - https://play.afl/movember-ahead-game 

Watch video about Ahead of the Game - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azNYnVgXL6s